The journey was quiet the rest of the way, the stuffy air calming, in an odd way. Ren found himself stumbling over nether quartz, as he followed Scar and Wels. ET was walking behind him, having being the one with the least experience with difficult terrain.

Soon enough, Scar stopped, calling out into the cavern ahead.

"Badtimes?"

A few seconds passed before a voice returned.

"Scar? How the heck are you here!?!?"

Ren walked forward, peering into the cavern. Sitting criss-cross on the floor, playing cards with a vex, was Badtimes himself. He looked almost identical to Scar, aside from the perfectly mirrored scars. He also had clear blue yes, as opposed to Scar's brightgreen ones. Badtime's hair was also slightly darker.

"Um... To put it short, I have no idea either." Scar answered with a nervous laugh.

Badtimes sighed. "Let me guess: I'm your only hope to get back."

"...yep."

"Well, I've got the time. Explain what you can and I'll see what I can do."

_________________

Zed woke up to find that Joe was already awake. Zed carefully extracted himself from the arms of Tango and Impulse, and walked over.

"Morning watch? Zed asked quietly.

Joe nodded.

After some time, the other Hermits started waking up, Tango and Joe switched places, and Xisuma pulled up his screens for another long day of work.

Mumbo, Grumbot, and Impulse gathered into a corner to brainstorm ideas on how to possibly save the infected hermits.

It wasn't until Cub came over that they got a vague idea.

Cub had speculated that perhaps there was a way he could use the vex to get Scar back.It would take a bit of work, but under the right circumstances, it was possible.

_________________

"There might be a way to get Scar back at least. I'll have to try to get to Cub, but it's possible. As for you three," Badtimes gestured at Wels, Ren, and ET. "There's nothing I can do as of now. But if we can get Scar back to the overworld, he might be able to work with Cub to force you guys back into your own heads."

Scar hesitated. "Are you sure the vex would-"

"Ren and Wels might not be very magical, but the vex might make an exception. Now if you want to get out of here, you'll let me do what I need to do." Badtimes cut him off. "Chaos is happening on the server, and this might be my only chance to communicate with Cub."

__________________

He had one order. Recruit Beesuma.

Wizard Scar had called Hels and Renbob to aid him, and they were standing in the shadows, a good ways away from the bunker.

The time had come to act.

__________________

"They're here." Iskall warned. 

The Hermits scrambled into position. Everyone but Zed, Cub, Xisuma, and Joe dropped down into Zed's storage system. 

Zed was ready at the security button, and Cub stood a good ways away, already channeling what vex magic he could. Xisuma was crouched in a corner with his screens still up, and Joe and his dogs surrounded him for protection.

That's when the door blew up, and it all broke loose.

___________________

One piece of TnT, and it all went downhill.

Renbob had ran in first, Zed bringing his hand down onto the button that dropped him into a pit of baby zombies.

Wizard Scar and Hels were a bit more careful, minding the pit. Zed quick'y began leading the baby zombies into the area he had that would reload the pit. Hels immediately rushed into combat with Joe as Wizard Scar went for Xisuma.

Hels seemed to have at least two brain cells because when the dogs started attacking him, he backed up, drawing them away from Xisuma and Wizard Scar. Wizard Scar and Xisuma were in an awkward type of combat, Xisuma trying to juggle his screens while fighting, as Wizard Scar tried to fight with a strictly long-range weapon.

Zed called up the other fighting hermits, who jumped up and ran into combat with Hels. By now Renbob had re-entered the bunker, drawing the rest of the fighters away.

Cub had come to the rescue of Xisuma, doing his best to both fight with Wizard SCar and try to contact Badtimes.

The chaos must've been enough because Cub was able to reach out to Badtimes, and through him, Scar.

Dropping his weapon, Cub reached a hand out and grabbed Wizard Scar's wrist, using his connection with Scar to recall the alter. Through Hels and the Vex, he focused on Scar's soul, trying to wake the hermit.

However, he lost his focus on Xisuma and WIzard Scar managed to dart out a hand and grab Xisuma's mask.

______________________

He didn't have his hold on Scar for much longer, but he managed to pass his remaining energy onto Beesuma, calling him out. Twisting his face into a crooked grin, he laughed up at Cub.

A new voice, one raspy and non human, came out.

"An eye for an eye. Wizard Scar may fall, but Wasp will take his place."

_______________________

Ren let out a cheer as Scar and Badtimes disappeared, hopefully going back to where they belonged.

ET then stiffened. "Some's here. Someone new."

Wels glanced behind him. "In Hels or the mindscape?"

"The mindscape."

It only took seconds to get back to the mindscape, as easy as closing his eyes and taking three steps backwards.

The three glanced around the mindscape, looking for the stranger.

Ren paled as his eyes fell on a slumped over figure on the bedrock. "Oh no." His voice came oit as a worried whisper.

Xisuma winced as he sat up. "Wh-where am I?"